diff --git a/src/i18n.js b/src/i18n.js
index ad3894d46..b7c32496f 100644
--- a/src/i18n.js
+++ b/src/i18n.js
@@ -63,9 +63,22 @@ const rtlLangs = [ "fa", "ar-SY", "ur" ];
  * @returns {string} the locale that should be displayed
  */
 export function currentLocale() {
-    const potentialLocales = [ localStorage.locale, navigator.language, navigator.language.substring(0, 2), ...navigator.languages ];
-    const availableLocales = potentialLocales.filter(l => languageList[l]);
-    return availableLocales[0] || "en";
+    for (const locale of [ localStorage.locale, navigator.language, ...navigator.languages ]) {
+        // localstorage might not have a value or there might not be a language in `navigator.language`
+        if (!locale) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (locale in messages) {
+            return locale;
+        }
+        // some locales are further specified such as "en-US".
+        // If we only have a generic locale for this, we can use it too
+        const genericLocale = locale.split("-")[0];
+        if (genericLocale in messages) {
+            return genericLocale;
+        }
+    }
+    return "en";
 }
 
 export const localeDirection = () => {
diff --git a/test/cypress/unit/i18n.spec.js b/test/cypress/unit/i18n.spec.js
index c53f341f2..c8352a767 100644
--- a/test/cypress/unit/i18n.spec.js
+++ b/test/cypress/unit/i18n.spec.js
@@ -3,46 +3,62 @@ import { currentLocale } from "../../../src/i18n";
 describe("Test i18n.js", () => {
 
     it("currentLocale()", () => {
-        const setLanguage = (language) => {
-            Object.defineProperty(window.navigator, 'language', {
-                value: language,
+        const setLanguages = (languages) => {
+            Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'language', {
+                value: languages[0],
                 writable: true
             });
-            Object.defineProperty(window.navigator, 'languages', {
-                value: [language],
+            Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'languages', {
+                value: languages,
                 writable: true
             });
         }
-        setLanguage('en-EN');
 
+        setLanguages(['en-EN']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
 
-        setLanguage('zh-HK');
+        setLanguages(['zh-HK']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("zh-HK");
 
         // Note that in Safari on iOS prior to 10.2, the country code returned is lowercase: "en-us", "fr-fr" etc.
         // https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Navigator/language
-        setLanguage('zh-hk');
+        setLanguages(['zh-hk']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
 
-        setLanguage('en-US');
+        setLanguages(['en-US']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
 
-        setLanguage('ja-ZZ');
+        setLanguages(['ja-ZZ']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("ja");
 
-        setLanguage('zz-ZZ');
+        setLanguages(['zz-ZZ']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
 
-        setLanguage('zz-ZZ');
+        setLanguages(['zz-ZZ']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
 
-        setLanguage('en');
-        localStorage.locale = "en";
+        setLanguages(['en-US', 'en', 'pl', 'ja']);
         expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
 
-        localStorage.locale = "zh-HK";
-        expect(currentLocale()).equal("zh-HK");
+        setLanguages(['en-US', 'pl', 'ja']);
+        expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
+
+        setLanguages(['abc', 'en-US', 'pl', 'ja']);
+        expect(currentLocale()).equal("en");
+
+        setLanguages(['fil-PH', 'pl']);
+        expect(currentLocale()).equal("pl");
+
+        setLanguages(['shi-Latn-MA', 'pl']);
+        expect(currentLocale()).equal("pl");
+
+        setLanguages(['pl']);
+        localStorage.locale = "ja-ZZ";
+        expect(currentLocale()).equal("ja");
+
+        setLanguages(['pl']);
+        localStorage.locale = "invalid-lang";
+        expect(currentLocale()).equal("pl");
     });
 
 });